Rheotrope or current-reversing key



(No ModeL) J. o. LUDWIGl` RHEOTROPE 0R CURRENT REVBRSING KEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1885.

Fi g. 2.

'4 Umm-:D STATES `lAm-in* Omen. f

,JOHN c. LUDWIG.. Or SAN FRANCISCO, cALiroHNIA, ASSIGNOR or THREE-FOURTHS rro LOUIS A. GARNI-rrr, or SAME PLACE, AND JOHN Hnws'rON,` f

JR., OF BROOKLYN, CALIFORNIA.

RHEOTROPE OR CURRENT-REVERSING Kev.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,426, dated April 7,1885.

Application filed November 28, 1884. (No model.) 1

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, JOHN O.,LUDwrG-, a citi- Vzen of the United St-ates,residing at the city .and county of San Francisco, and State of 5California, have invented a new and useful Rheotrope orElectric-Current-Reversing Key for Telegraphic Purposes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object ofmy invention is `to provide a key for changing Or reversinga current of electricity of any certain polarity, so as to give positiveand negative currents of equal volume and intensity, and which is fullyset forth in the following specication, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in

which the same letters refer to the same parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the key.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side view showing the movement of the key-leverand method of 2O making and breaking the contacts. Fig. 3 is a top Viewof the key. Figs. 4 and 5 show the course of the electrical currentswhen the keylever is either depressed or raised.

A is the base.

B B2 are metallic columns supporting the cross-head C, and secured to itwith nuts W W, and secured to the base by screws from beneath. 4

D is the key-lever.

A, C, and D are made of hard rubber or other non-conducting material.

X X2 are the trunnions supporting the keylever and fastened upon eachside of it by screws, thus insulating them from each other.

E'E are set-screws passing through the columns B B2, and which hold thelever D in place by the trunnions X X2.

G G are adjusting-screws for regulating the motion of the key-lever.

I I are two vertical metallic arms inserted into the trunnions X and X2,respectively, as shown particularly in Fig. 2.

R RZ R3 R4 are four metallic plates fastened to the rubber cross-head Cby screws or rivets 45 in such a manner that they are insulated fromeach other.

J J J J are adjustable contact-screws in the plates R R2 R3 R4, formaking or breaking contact with the vertical armsI I when the keyleveris raisedor depressed.

L,L2` are metallic connections uniting me tallic plates R2 R3 with thebinding-posts M yand N beneath the base A.

O and P are binding-posts connected be-` neaththe base with the columnsB. and B2, the 55 connection from binding-post P to. column B` Vbeingshown in Figs. 1 and 3 as made` through switch S and its contact S',which is connected to the column by a metallic plate s, and through thetrunnions to the vertical arms, where the 6o contact is made with J J JJ. l Y and Y2 are wire connections betweenthe` plates R and R2, andbetween the plates Ra i and R".

To explain the operation of this device,Figs.`

4 and 5 are referred to.l When the key-lever is in the position of restas held by the spring, and as seen in Fig. 2, the vertical arms I I willbe iu contact with the screws of plates R- R3, and, referring to Fig. 4,it will be seen 7o that the electric current passes from C in thebattery to the binding-post P, and to the column B, and through thetrunnion X` to the y arm I and plate R', and thence through the wire ytothe plate R2, and by means of 'the '75 l metallic connection L to thebinding-post N, l

l and will proceed inthe direction of the arrow Y through any metallicworking-circuit to M,

thence through the metallic connection L2 to the plate R3, and throughthe contact-screws` 8o and X2 to the column B2, and thence to thebinding-post O, and complete the circuit to the battery in the directionshown by the arrow. When the key-lever is pressed down, the arms I Iwill be in contact with plates RL 8,5 and R4. It will be seen byreference toA Fig. 5 that the current from G in the battery passes y inthe same direction until the contact is made with plate R4, from whichit passes through the wire Y2 to plate R3, and thence by metal 9o lconnection L2 to the binding-post M, and re-4 turns, through themetallic medium, in the direction shown by the arrow to the post N. Thecurrent then proceeds-through the metallic connection L to R2, andthrough I andwtrunnion X2 to Bi; thence to binding-post O, and

completes the circuit to the battery, as shown by the arrow.

It will be seen from the above that the current of electricity is brokenand reversed upon every motion of the key.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a current-reversing telegraph-key, the combination, with a pivotedkey-lever, of two metallic arms projecting therefrom lat angles to itsaxis and insulated from each other, each of said arms being arranged tovibrate between a separate pair of contacts, and the contact on eachside of each arm being electrically connected with an opposite contactof the other arm, substantially as described.

2. In a current-reversing telegraph-key, the combination, with apivotedkey-lever, of two metallic arms projecting therefrom at angles to itsaxis and insulated from each other, two metallic contacts for each ofsaid arms and on opposite sides of the same, respectively, each Contactof each arm being electrically connected with an opposite contact of theother arm, means for connecting said arms, respectively, to oppositepoles of a battery, and for connecting both contacts of either arm,respectively, with the terminals of a workingcircuit, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a current-,reversing telegraph lkey, the combination, with apivoted key-lever having metallic trunnions which are insulated fromeach other and metallic bearings supporting said trunnions, of twometallic arms projecting radially from said trunnions, respectively, apair of opposite metallic contacts for each of said arms, the contactoneach side of each arm being electrically connected with the contact onthe opposite side of the other arm, suitable lmeans for connecting thetrunnionbearings with opposite poles of a battery, and means forconnecting both contacts of either of the metallic arms with therespective terminals of a workingcircuit, substantially as described.

4. A pivoted telegraph-key lever formed of non-conducting material andhaving metallic trunnions insulated from each other, substantially asdescribed.

JOHN C. LUDWIG.

Vitnesses:

I. L. OULIN, J Essn WALroN.

